Lancs Best-Kept Village contest: Full results

Dominic Collis

The village of Blacko hit the headlines this week as it clinched yet another champion success in the Lancashire Best Kept Village competition for 2015.

It was champion village of the year in 2011 and 2013, but its championship vein of success started in 1976 when it won the prestigious trophy. Then in 2002 and 2007 it won the Small Village Class, has been a runner-up in the Champion Village Class and in 2009 it entered the equally prestigious North West in Bloom Competition, winning the Best New Entry and runner-up in the Village Class.

And Higham was named Best Small Village. Runner-up in the best kept contest was Chipping. The village has won a number of the competitions over the years, and has also won the village section of the Royal Horticultural Society Britain in Bloom competition in 2009, picking up RHS Tourism and Gold achievement awards in the process.

The village’s environmentally friendly public toilets have won the best in Lancashire award every year since a renovation in 2009, this year gaining a highly-commended, being pipped to the post by Whalley Bus Station.

The finals judge for this year’s competition was Richard McIlwain, Operations Director for, Keep Britain Tidy who will present the awards, along with sponsors of the competition, at a ceremony on Monday, October 19th,at The Villa, Wrea Green, commencing at 2.30pm.